Recent Blog Posts

Nestled beneath Grandpa Shorter's Gifts lies a hidden gem awaiting discovery: Petoskey's first and only Easter Basket Bar! Located in Luci & Carl's Candy Cabin in Petoskey, Michigan, this delightful haven invites you to indulge in the joy of crafting your very own Easter basket, brimming wi...
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Ahh St. Patrick’s Day is almost here, and that means a day filled with shenanigans and malarkey. St. Patrick’s Day is a special day where all of us are Irish and the green beer is flowing freely. In northern Michigan it means springtime is right around the corner, and that in and of itself ...
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As you have probably realized by now, 2024 is a leap year, with February 29 being a leap day. But what does that mean exactly? What is leap year, and why do we have to have it? Get ready for some math. . . Ok, it takes exactly 365 days, five hours, 48 minutes, and 45 seconds for the earth...
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Wintertime in northern Michigan can be both beautiful and brutal. As a kid growing up in Petoskey, I looked forward to the first snowfall of the season, and I took advantage of all that the winter season had to offer. My brother and I would frequent the Petoskey Winter Sports Park to sled and s...
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National Puzzle Day is celebrated each year on January 29, and it is not puzzling to me as to why, in freezing, often blustery, northern Michigan, January 29 would be the perfect day to celebrate all kinds of puzzles but especially jigsaw puzzles. Working on jigsaw puzzles is the perfect winter...
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Quick trivia question for you ”What national day on January 4 celebrates those who store a wealth of (usually useless) knowledge in their brains and who like to spout it off at any given moment. . .  National Trivia Day of course! According to nationaldaycalendar.com, “[this] holid...
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One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is of all the delicious foods that I consume, and more specifically, all of the different kinds of holiday cookies that I savor. I am sure that everyone has a go to recipe for chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies, and Christmas cornflake wreaths, ...
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“Socks are like friends; they are always there for you.” -Unknown Ok, I have a confession to make. I am addicted. . . to socks. Yes, socks. I own quite a few pairs, and by quite a few, I mean well over a hundred. I have thick socks, thin socks, white socks, colorful socks, short socks, l...
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The Thanksgiving season is upon us, and this means different things to different people. For some it is a time to be grateful for the things that we have. For some it is a day or weekend of well-deserved rest and relaxation.  For some it means hours of travel by car or plane to be with lo...
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Petoskey, along with its surrounding areas, is full of fun places to go and explore year round. Fall is a great time to go hiking because the trails tend to be less crowded, and there are fewer flies and mosquitos to interfere with your outdoor adventures. Here is a list of my five favorite locati...
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